Final answer:
The lack of nurture has significant negative impacts on a child's development, leading to severe social, cognitive, and emotional deficiencies, as seen in cases like Danielle, Genie, and Oxana Malaya.
Step-by-step explanation:
The lack of nurture in a child's environment can lead to significant deficits in social, cognitive, and emotional development. The classic nature versus nurture debate in psychology seeks to unravel the extent to which genetics or the environment influences a person's personality and behavior.
Case studies like those of Danielle, Genie, and Oxana Malaya shed light on the detrimental effects of extreme neglect. These individuals were unable to develop normal social and cognitive skills due to the absence of basic social interaction and stimulation, often resulting in lifelong challenges.
An uninvolved parenting style, which equates to neglect, typically leads to children who are emotionally withdrawn and exhibit a myriad of issues such as anxiety and poor academic performance. The dangers of neglect are further exemplified in studies involving animals, such as the research on rats showing how negative early life experiences can lead to depression-like symptoms and changes in the amygdala, which is responsible for emotion regulation.
It is clear from these examples that nurture plays a crucial role in healthy psychological development and the formation of a functional individual within society.